


canvas

by dryadfiona



Series: glad you’re safe [2]
Category: Until Dawn (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, F/F, Painting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-10
Updated: 2020-11-10
Packaged: 2021-03-08 17:47:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,008
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27480694
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dryadfiona/pseuds/dryadfiona
Summary: Sam and Ashley have found their soulmate. If only things stayed easy.
Relationships: Ashley Brown/Sam Giddings
Series: glad you’re safe [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1962430
Comments: 6
Kudos: 16





	canvas

In the helicopter, Sam's quiet.

She's okay, Ashley thinks--knows. She can feel the calm in Sam's head, see the still expression on her face. Emily and Jess are leaned into each other in a borderline inappropriate way, Jess' legs in Emily's lap, Emily's head in the crook of Jess' neck. They're not saying anything.

Then again, neither are Sam and Ashley.

Mike, in contrast, is chatting less-than-quietly with the rangers who've picked them up. Matt's practically passed out, falling asleep onto Sam. If she focuses, Ashley thinks she can feel the weight of it, but it's vague.

She'd always liked the idea of soulmates, thought for sure that she would know her soulmate on sight. She'd thought it was Chris--they'd just clicked, they'd spent so much time together, she'd felt upset and anxiety a year ago, and he'd been asleep but he'd been worried, too--

Then a monster pulled his head off his body before he could reach the door, and Ashley saw every second of it. Mike had needed to pull her away.

"Ash," Sam says, quiet. 

Ashley starts. "What?"

"It's gonna be okay," Sam says.

Sam believes it, Ashley can tell. Ashley doesn't.

* * *

The interview goes on for way too long. She breaks down crying talking about Josh, tries to explain she didn't _know_ it was Josh when she stabbed him (doesn't mention that she might've done it anyway, after everything), and tries to get out the words about the monsters. She can't, though, her throat catching on _Hannah._

"You can go," says the ranger, quiet and kind. 

Ashley doesn't even say goodbye--she just leaves. 

The six of them that are left all make their way into this one room. Emily and Mike are last, glaring at each other as they walk back in. Matt and Jess, animatedly chatting about absolutely nothing of relevance. Ashley's pretty sure their cheer is forced, given the tense set of Jess' shoulders, but she's trying not to notice them, too much, focusing on Sam in front of her. 

Neither of them are saying anything. It's normal not to, when you think you've found your soulmate, if you're lucky enough to have one, to try and test it. They're both pretty sure, given the way Sam winces when Ashley pokes at her bruise, how Ashley feels shaky on her legs and Sam's got a nasty case of frostbite there. 

Sam's not as calm as she was, earlier, white-hot anger underneath the surface, and Ashley's so distracted with Sam's emotions, strong as they are, that when Sam digs her nails into her own arm. Ashley yelps and grabs at her arm reflexively.

"So that's that, then," Sam says, and beams at her. There's such raw, naked hope that bleeds through, then, Ashley almost shakes with it.

She wants to enjoy that, of having found her, of being found, after however many lifetimes they've lived together, after whatever force that wanted them together finally saw fit for them to _get_ it. But she keeps thinking about Chris, about the too-long-fingers ripping through him like they were nothing. 

Sam's smile drops, and Ashley only barely manages to smile back.

* * *

So that's--fine. Awkward. But fine. Good, even!

Sam and Ashley spend so much more time together, now. They spend one night at Sam's and the next at Ashley's, waking up gripping each other tight enough to bruise. Sam's parents are delighted that their daughter's found her soulmate, but are tactless about the night up on the mountain, interrogating them both about Josh and the guy with the flamethrower and Hannah. Sam squeezes Ashley's hand to ground her when Ashley's breathing begins to get quick, catches in her throat.

At Ashley's, her mother is vaguely disapproving, saying Sam's goals are far from realistic, that she'd hoped her daughter would have someone smart, someone stable, like Chris, and Ashley can feel Sam's anger, again, but she reigns it in, keeps that same sharp-edged smile, and Ashley tries to return to favor, grabs her hand and runs her thumb across the knuckles. The anger doesn't go away, like Ashley half-expects, but shifts into something else, warm rather than hot, more protective than possessive.

"I just don't want my daughter's future to be so uncertain," her mom says, slow and careful. "She's committed to being an author, though God knows why--" A familiar urge to explain herself, and Sam squeezes Ashley's hand to keep her from hissing out something she'd regret. "--and as I understand it, you want to be a painter?"

"No, actually," Sam says, and the fact that her mom doesn't flinch back at Sam's expression amazes Ashley. To Ashley, she can see the snarl behind the smile. Her mom just seems judgmental. "I'm planning on going to school for conservation. I'm hoping to work with a wilderness sanctuary to help endangered species."

"Oh," says Ashley's mom. "Well, that's--"

"But," Sam says. "Even if I do decide that I want my art to be my career, it would be Ashley's choice. Not yours."

"I--"

"No," Sam says. "Your daughter's an adult."

"She's barely graduated--"

"And," Sam says, sharp smile still on her face, "she's lived through hell. She doesn't need you to make enjoying being alive worse."

"Sam," Ashley says, not sure if she's warning her or encouraging her.

Either way, Sam's smile softens as soon as she glances at her. Ashley presses a kiss to the underside of her jaw, and she can feel Sam's heart skip physically as much as through their bond.

"I didn't know you painted," Ashley says, trying to distract while not letting her mom off the hook.

"Remind me to show you next time we're at my place," Sam says. "They're just--"

"They're not just anything," Ashley says. "I'm sure they're incredible."

Sam's smile softens more, half-surprised, and Ashley can feel herself smiling back.

They'll be okay, Ashley realizes, even if the mountain haunts them, even if Ashley thinks about Chris and his head, even if Sam's haunted by whatever specific horror follows her. They'll be okay.


End file.
